I don’t know about you, but I learned very little about variations in sexual development during my medical education over a decade ago. Commonly presented topics were usually of a genetic nature—this person has XXY or XO chromosomes and the “abnormalities” such chromosomal variations can bring. That’s about the extent of my education regarding sex development and gender, with the impression conveyed that these were minor topics.
Fast forward to now, …
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It is National Nurses Week, a time when we recognize and appreciate the vital role nurses play in health care. As medical doctors, we understand firsthand the significance of nurses in enabling us to fulfill our responsibilities effectively.
I have a saying that emphasizes the importance of nurses to physicians:
If the doctor is good and the nurse is good, the patient will be well.
If the doctor is bad but the nurse …
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If you knew we are like the “Two Fridas,”
that our hearts are connected,
would you change your mind?
Would you stop
as you are about to cut
the artery feeding your heart and mine?
If you knew that when you cry because of your loneliness,
because of your longing for your family,
that I cry, too, (though behind your back,
after I have comforted you)
would you change your mind?
If you knew that your isolation,
with the tubes and gadgets
coming …
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It takes a special person to care for people during their most vulnerable states, to keep intimate details about people while remaining compassionate even toward the seemingly vilest of persons. The white color of a physicians’ coat can be a metaphor for the purity expected of physicians. A physician’s signature or words carry weight. With such power comes the responsibility to be trustworthy.
Documentation is an important part of patient care. …
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A doctor who has a contagious disease is not only suffering in terms of their health but also about being incapacitated in performing their life-saving tasks. Doctors with COVID-19 likely increase the community’s disease burden, so the frontline staff in the fight against COVID-19 crisis cannot be sick or ill-equipped. Yet, that has been happening. With the surge in COVID-19 cases, physicians are overworked. I have an infectious disease colleague …
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In my clinical practice, I have encountered patient aggression typically with narcotic medications, in particular with the refusal of a refill due to evidence of concerning behavior, like a positive drug screen for drugs not prescribed. Aggressive behavior can include yelling, threatening physical violence or intimidation. I have had less trouble with narcotic-related aggression nowadays especially with media coverage of the dangers of narcotic abuse and especially since a lot …
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